Is Your 2024 Holiday Marketing Plan in Place?
October 8, 2024
It’s officially fall, and Halloween is just over the horizon. That means it’s time for everything pumpkin spice, cozy sweaters, costumes and candy, and, of course, holiday marketing! Halloween starts the year-end holiday blitz that doesn’t conclude until January 1st, so you must have your marketing plan for the rest of the year in place now rather than trying to fly by the seat of your pants. How’s the 2024 holiday season shaping up?
This year, sales during the holiday are forecasted to see a 5% growth compared to 2023, with much of the growth coming from e-commerce. However, though online sales will account for much of holiday shopping, in-store sales will still account for roughly 80% of all sales. How your customers purchase your products or services doesn’t matter as much as how you’re reaching them, though. The holidays are when every store out there competes for the customer’s attention, meaning your holiday marketing plan needs to stand out.
How You Can Stand Out In 2024
Step one is defining your audience, as you don’t want to waste your time marketing to people who aren’t interested in what you’re selling. You can define the best audience for your marketing efforts in a few ways. You can take a look back at your customers and determine which are the most valuable, separate out your VIP purchasers, or create a segment of repeat, loyal customers. You may even decide that first-time shoppers are your best bet this holiday season. Don’t limit yourself to just one segment of your customer population, though. If you think repeat customers and first-time shoppers are both viable, target them both!
Once you’ve determined which audiences to direct your holiday marketing to, you need to figure out the best channels to get their attention. For many, this will be social media; however, you need to figure out which social media platforms your audience is on and focus on those platforms only. More and more people are shopping on social media platforms, particularly Instagram and Pinterest, so take advantage of that!
When using social media to market, get creative! Don’t only stick to regular, everyday posts about sales or updates. Instead, create a content calendar for the next few months that includes content like holiday gift guide reels, holding contests and giving away special holiday items, bringing in influencers, and getting your audience in on the holiday fun with user-generated content. And don’t forget ads! Social media ads are an excellent way to get your products and services in front of your holiday audience.
Email marketing is another fantastic way to market yourself for the holidays. Email marketing can be a highly effective tool, particularly if your email list is robust. Roll out special one-time deals or early discounts via email, set up automated flows to retarget customers who leave your site with items still in their cart, and utilize those sales funnels!
Finally, don’t forget to optimize your website for the holidays. Set up landing pages devoted to whichever holiday is coming up next, engage in keyword research to update your site’s SEO, and since most people shop via phone, ensure your website is mobile-friendly!
Final Thoughts
The holidays are the busiest shopping time of the year, so you need to be prepared ahead of time with a holiday marketing plan! It’ll take a little time to set up and some hard work on your part, but it’ll be well worth it in the long run. Once your marketing plan is in place, you’ll be ready to get in front of your audience with the precise content they want to see this holiday season.
_______
By Misty Layne
Client Spotlight: Big Brothers Moving and Hauling
May 23, 2024
We are incredibly lucky at Social Marketing Solutions to be able to work with some of the best companies from a variety of industries. From clients we've been working with for years, to the ones who are brand new to SMS, we work with a vast array of talent and we thought it would be great if we had a chance to highlight one of our awesome clients. Today we're introducing Big Brothers Moving and Hauling!
Big Brothers Moving and Hauling serves Morris County, NJ, and has a reputation for excellence and top-tier moving services. The company is locally owned and operated and consists of a team of professionals committed to prioritizing customer satisfaction and ensuring the relocation experience is completely stress-free. From efficient packing to secure transportation, Big Brothers Moving and Hauling can handle every aspect of relocation.
So, if you’re looking at a big move in the upcoming future, contact Big Brothers Moving and Hauling at (973) 216-5613 for a free estimate!
We’re very pleased to be working with Big Brothers Moving and Hauling on their Facebook and Instagram accounts and can’t wait to see where our efforts lead. Welcome, guys!
How to Repurpose Content Like a Pro
January 31, 2024
Online marketing, like social media, blogs, and newsletters, is all about the content. But most of the time you’re much too busy to keep churning out content for several different sites on the daily. So, what can you do to ensure you have enough content to go around without dedicating a billion hours each week to content creation?
Repurpose your content, of course! But what exactly does it mean to repurpose content, and how do you do it successfully? We’ll be answering those questions here, so keep reading to learn how to repurpose content like a pro!
What is Repurposing Content?
What exactly does it mean to “repurpose content” anyway? Repurposing content simply means that you’re taking old content and reusing elements of it (or sometimes all of it) while also updating anything that is no longer relevant. And when you repurpose content, you don’t reuse it in its original form; instead, you change it up into a new form (like turning a blog post into an Instagram Reel).
Repurposing content isn’t the same as cross-posting or reposting content (though it’s easy to get the three confused). Cross-posting content is when you share the exact same piece of content in the same form across your social media channels, websites, etc. Reposting content is when you publish the same piece of content a second (or third or fourth) time on the same site. So, perhaps you just found a picture you posted two years ago on Facebook, and you decide to share it once again to your Facebook page.
Why Should I Repurpose Content?
Now that you understand what repurposing content is, you might be asking yourself why you should do it. There are three main benefits to using content in this way.
The first benefit is that you save time. If you’re repurposing content, then you don’t have to sit down and think up ideas for new content, figure out how to present that content or create that content. Instead, you already have the ideas and the content itself; all you need to do is decide where you want to post it and in what form. And you can repurpose content at the same time as you originally create it. For example, if you just finished an e-book, you could also use content from that in blog posts, podcasts, or as quotes on social media.
The second benefit of content repurposing is it can give you an SEO boost. Having lots of content out there on the internet that all focus on the same or similar targeted keywords means the search engines will deem you an authority on whatever subject your content is about. That can mean more people find your stuff when they search for the topic you’re discussing.
Finally, repurposing content expands your online reach. If you simply post a blog, then people who visit your website will see it. But what about the people who read your newsletter or your followers on Threads? By repurposing that same blog post into content that fits other platforms, you’re getting your content in front of a more diverse (and larger) audience.
How do I Repurpose Content?
There’s really no end to the ways you can repurpose content, depending on how creative you are and where you’re repurposing content (in fact, here are 20 ways to repurpose content!). But if you’re looking for a few ways to get yourself started, here are some ideas:
- Take parts from a report or e-book and turn them into a blog post.
- Take a video from YouTube and break it into smaller pieces to place on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook.
- If you have a lot of text-based content, turn some of it into graphics, such as infographics.
- Turn long-form written content into newsletters.
- What’s the key takeaway from a piece of old content? Use that takeaway to make a quick Instagram Reel or TikTok.
See? There’s no shortage of ways to repurpose content, and once you get the hang of what works best for you, you’ll be repurposing content like a pro!
Final Thoughts
Repurposing content can be an incredibly useful part of online marketing. It saves you time, gives you an SEO boost, and can help expand your online reach. Plus, you get to be creative in how you decide to repurpose your content. Pick one of the above ways to repurpose content to get started (and be sure to check out the Hubspot article with 20 ways to repurpose content!). Trust us; you’ll be glad you did.
______________
By Misty Layne
Happy Birthday to Us!
August 14, 2023
On July 25th, Social Marketing Solutions celebrated its 12th anniversary of being in business!
A lot has changed since 2011—Twitter is now X, Facebook is Meta (and owns Instagram and now Threads)—the social media landscape has changed in a myriad of unexpected ways. That isn’t all that’s changed in the past 12 years, though. In 2011, we couldn’t have imagined the success and support we have now. The past years have given us a growth of customers beyond all expectations.
We’re excited to continue working towards our 13th year in business. There are no words to describe Social Marketing Solutions' gratefulness for the support and loyalty of everyone we’ve crossed paths with, particularly our amazing clients. We continue to learn so much from clients and fellow social networkers.
Social Marketing Solutions also looks forward to coming out of this upcoming year stronger and with even more knowledge on how best to promote and support our clientele. It’s beyond rewarding to help small businesses grow, and we can’t wait to see what comes next!
Here’s to 12 successful, fun, and knowledgeable years of social media marketing, and cheers to another 12 to come!
Welcome to Our New Clients!
April 3, 2023
Social Marketing Solutions is constantly growing and expanding, with new clients added all the time, and we'd love to introduce you to our newest additions to the SMS family! Please welcome our latest clients, and stop by their Facebook pages to find out what they're all about!
Please help us welcome:
- Dryer Vent Wizard of Sacramento
- Dryer Vent Wizard of the Greater North Bay Area
- Dryer Vent Wizard of SE Saratoga and NE Schenectady
- Wayne Bedding
We're so excited to have you guys join us!
Meet Babbit’s Sandwich & Grill!
September 15, 2022
We love getting the chance to introduce you to new clients, so say hello to Babbit’s Sandwich & Grill!
Established in 2021, this gourmet sandwich shop is located in Pine Brook and creates delicious, savory sandwiches from always fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Each sandwich is made with flair, with Babbit’s having a rotating weekly specials menu that always veers towards the unique and interesting. This is one menu any adventurous eater will enjoy!
But if you’d rather stick to the classic sandwich style, Babbit’s has you covered there as well with a menu of classics that are always available. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Babbit’s guarantees you’ll always be satisfied.
Take a look at some of their sandwiches on Instagram!
If you’re ready to find out more about Babbit’s and all the insanely terrific and delicious food they make, check out their Facebook and Instagram for all the latest!
Reasons You Should be Blogging
January 24, 2022
For years, you’ve heard that your business should have a blog, but you just haven’t had the energy or time to devote to starting one. Now, more than ever, it’s time to take the leap and start blogging. It may seem like a marketing tactic that’s less important than ads or social media, but the truth is that blogging offers several benefits to your business. Here’s why you should be blogging.
Why You Need to Blog
- Blogging increases visitors to your website, draws in new customers, and creates leads. Just take a look at these stats:
- Businesses that blog convert leads 70% more often than businesses without blogs.
- Businesses with blogs have approximately 55% more visitors to their websites. They also have 434% more indexed pages and 97% more inbound links.
- Out of businesses that blog, 43% have landed a customer because of blogging.
- Blogging improves SEO, and SEO is vital in today’s digital marketing world. SEO is what gets you ranked in Google searches and leads people to your website, so if you aren’t taking advantage, you aren’t reaching your website’s full potential. Blogging is fabulous for SEO purposes because you can constantly use new keywords that your potential customers are searching for, including long-tail keywords.
- Blogging equals constant content. Having consistent content coming from your business is how you can get seen and noticed out there in the wild, wild world of digital marketing. Posting blogs on a consistent basis means you have new content to engage your customers on your website and new content you can use for social media marketing. You can turn blogs into everything from posts on Facebook to videos on YouTube, so it’s a win-win all around!
- Blogging builds your reputation as an expert in your industry. Blogging gives you a voice that you can use to let people know that you know exactly what you’re talking about when it comes to your business’s industry. You can use your blog to share tutorials on products, promote items, share how your business works behind the scenes, and more.
- Blogging is one of the cheapest marketing tools available to you. Because your blog goes on your website, which you already have, you aren’t paying anything to have a blog (unless you outsource your blogging to a company like Social Marketing Solutions to save time, and even then, it’s incredibly inexpensive!). Doing it yourself, though, will merely cost you the time it takes to write and post your blogs, and considering the many benefits of blogging, that time you spend on it will be worth it.
Final Thoughts
These are only a handful of the benefits you’ll get from starting a blog for your business; there’s so much more you’ll gain from spending just a bit of time writing once a week or once a month. So, what are you waiting for? If you need help getting started, Social Marketing Solutions is always happy to lend a helping hand. We write and post blogs for a variety of businesses on a range of topics and can incorporate your company’s keywords to boost your SEO. Reach out today with any questions, and we’ll get you started on the blogging path!
It’s That Time of Year Again!
September 28, 2021
Fall is finally here! It’s time for fuzzy sweaters, pumpkin lattes, and, starting next month, holiday marketing! October begins the year-end blitz of holidays that doesn’t end till after January 1st, and once again, we’ll be experiencing the holidays under the lifestyle changes wrought by the pandemic. The question that has followed us from 2020 is how do we factor these changes into our holiday marketing? We’ve gathered a few ideas to get you started!
- Start early. The e-commerce season will begin even earlier this year, so make sure your website is up to par before it does. Last year’s holiday shopping began in October – and usually in place of actual Black Friday in-store sales. And since there are still production and supply chain issues in several areas, it’s advisable to start as early as possible in reaching out to customers old and new.
- Embrace the possibilities of online. Since a lot of holiday shopping will be online again, you might want to consider doing a webroom for products. Essentially, it’s a showroom that’s online where people can look at products from all angles. You may also want to consider incorporating how-to videos, fashion shows, product demonstrations, and more across your website and social media to provide a fully immersive experience.
- Remember email marketing is your friend. Pretty much everyone checks their email routinely and during the holidays people are always seeking the best deals, so sliding into their emails with discounts and special offers will make your business more enticing.
- Social media marketing is more important than ever. Grandview Research estimated that buying from social media brought in around $474 billion in revenue last year. More and more, people are turning to places like Facebook and Instagram for curated recommendations, to find reviews from other customers and more. If you aren’t using social media marketing this holiday season, you’re missing out.
- Take advantage of retargeting. Did you know approximately 96% of people who visit a website leave without purchasing? That’s a lot of people! But if you’re retargeting you can up the number of people who buy from you. For example, if someone leaves their cart abandoned but you have their email you can send a follow-up email reminding them about their cart. Or you can retarget customers by having ads for the products they were looking at show up on their social media. One good way to go about this is with the Facebook pixel.
- Use what you can on Facebook. If your business is one Facebook, you should check out their 2021 holiday marketing guide and find out all the many ways you can take advantage of the platform this holiday season.
- Video is still king. We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again. If you aren’t using video in your marketing, you’re missing out on opportunities. 90% of online users said video helped them to make purchasing decisions.
The ways people shop continue to change, but there’s plenty you can do to embrace these changes and make your holiday marketing better than ever. From video to creative demonstrations of your product and more, you can be sure you’re getting the most out of your holiday marketing.
Need a helping hand? Reach out to Social Marketing Solutions today and see how we can help!
What’s the Deal with Social Audio?
March 23, 2021
You’ve probably seen or heard news lately about the growing world of social audio – spaces such as Clubhouse or Twitter Spaces or Fireside. But what’s the deal with social audio? How does it work? Is it better than traditional social media? Most of all, should your business be taking advantage? Here’s what you need to know about the new frontier of social media.
What is Social Audio?
For years social media has consisted of text, images, emojis and video. Now audio is being added into the mix. Unlike podcasts which work as a one way street, social audio offers real-time audio that allows listeners to participate in the conversation going on. Since social audio is voice-only there’s also no need to worry about how you look or what’s in the background of wherever you are, making it less stressful for many.
In a recent article, Jeremiah Owyang called it “the “Goldilocks” medium….Text is not enough, and video is too much; social audio is just right. It represents the opportunity for social connection and empathy without the downsides of video. Why is this use case taking off? – humans, stuck at home during quarantine; readily available smartphones and apps; cloud-based technology and easy integration platforms like Agora; the desire for human connection beyond text; and fatigue from too many video conference calls.”
Not to mention, the intimacy of voice makes audio social that much more appealing in our current climate of social distancing and isolation. It makes sense that people would be drawn to it.
Businesses and Social Audio
How can your business take advantage of social audio? One of the easiest ways to start is with podcasting. It may be a one-way street where you talk to your audience, but take a look at some numbers below:
- 37% of people in the U.S. listened to a podcast in the past month
- 63% of people bought something a podcast host promoted on their show
- By 2022, it’s estimated that podcast listening will grow to 132 million people in the U.S. alone
If you aren’t taking advantage of podcasting, you’re missing out on opportunity! How can you get started?
- Choose a topic you’re an expert on, one you know you can deliver.
- Get a good microphone. Simply using the mic on your computer or phone won’t deliver the best sound quality.
- Get editing software such as Audacity and learn how to use it.
- Decide where your podcast will be uploaded. There are several options for this – from Spotify to iTunes and more. Plus, if you video your podcast you can also upload it to Youtube, Facebook, etc.
You can get more info on starting your podcast HERE.
How can you take advantage of social audio that works as a two-way street such as Clubhouse? You can start by exploring the audio rooms available. Visit different conversations to find the ones that are relevant to you and your business interests and participate. Seek to add value with your questions and comments. Next, host your own conversation. Invite others on the app that you may know who would be interested in speaking or being interviewed.
You can also experiment with:
- Branded clubs
- Promoted rooms
- Ads: banners, text, audio
- Sponsored audio influencers
As the future of social audio grows there are other uses to look forward to such as: 1) the addition of text-based features and emoticons; 2) the ability to record selected social audio conversations and publish them like a podcast; 3) conversations being embedded on your website; and more.
Social Audio Sites
While Clubhouse is likely the most known of social audio sites, there are plenty of others out there to experiment with. In fact, Jeremiah Owyang created this list of 34 sites.
- JoinClubhouse
- Twitter Spaces
- Facebook (reportedly)
- Fireside Chat (Mark Cuban)
- Sonar
- Chalk
- Discord
- Locker Room
- Space
- Roadtrip
- Capiche.fm
- Cappuccino
- Stereo
- Soapbox
- Quilt
- Yalla
- Anchor.FM
- GetRiff
- Seventh Ave
- Yac
- Dialup
- Saga
- Swell
- Lizhiinc
- High Fidelity
- Angle
- Tin Can
- Soundn
- MyWave
- TooDeep
- JoinVocal
- FishBowl
- Listen to Blast
- Eternal
The Downsides
Like all social media sites, there are downsides to social audio – the biggest of which is currently a lack of content moderation. Content moderation in audio is far more difficult than it is in text. Clubhouse, in particular, has been used to spread misinformation and racist and misogynistic content. Discord, another popular site, was used to help plan the recent insurrection in DC.
Privacy is another concern. Clubhouse records all conversations in case an investigation of a reported problem is needed. However, they don’t say how long they keep conversations or who is allowed to listen to them. Also on Clubhouse, you can’t delete information other people share about you. When one signs up for Clubhouse, they are required to upload their entire contact database in order to send invites to others. So, even if you haven’t been invited if someone you know who has your contact info has joined Clubhouse and invited others, Clubhouse has your contact info as well.
In Conclusion
It looks like the future is audio and you’ll want to jump on board at some point. Start with something easy like podcasting, then move up to two-way social audio. Just be aware of potential concerns and as always, use social media responsibly!
Halloween Marketing in the Time of Covid-19
October 1, 2020
Halloween is fast approaching – the second-largest commercial holiday in the U.S. after Christmas. Normally, your business might be gathering Halloween decorations or stocking up on candy for trick-or-treaters, but this year due to Covid-19 things will be more than a little different. This year businesses will need to get creative with their Halloween marketing.
Recent studies by the Halloween Industry Association show that the majority of consumers get their Halloween products and services via the influence of social media. Given the already vital importance of online marketing in the current climate, this means you should be taking advantage of the results of these studies. Even if your business isn’t directly Halloween related, you can still take advantage of social media to create Halloween opportunities – both creating fun for families and kids and showing your community spirit.
People are coming up with ever creative ideas for this Halloween season. One example includes Zoom-o-Ween which would have kids virtually sharing their costumes online with others. Tweak this idea a bit to incorporate your business’s Facebook page – hold a virtual Halloween costume contest with people submitting photos of themselves in order to win. By letting people vote for their favorite costumes by liking photos, you create a bigger sense of community. Plus, by offering a prize from your business (whatever that may be) you’ll be getting your brand out in front of more people.
Another example is the trunk’or’treat, an idea that has already been growing in popularity over the years. This is when a group of people park their cars in a parking lot, decorate their car trunks, and hand out candy there, thus making trick-or-treating a bit safer. If your business has a parking lot you can offer the use to a local group looking to do this, then create event pages on Facebook and tweet out the date & time to your Twitter followers. Afterward, you can post photos of the even to your Instagram to share the fun with everyone.
You can also simply use social media to participate in getting people into the Halloween spirit. Update your page’s headers and profile pics to Halloween related photos or use the month of October to post Halloween related images and content (back in 2013, Tide created a spoof of the movie “Carrie” on Vine using the tagline “stains better be scared”). You can also use Instagram or Snapchat to post short videos of your store’s Halloween decorations or your staff’s costumes. The sky’s the limit when it comes to social media. All you need is a little imagination!
Finally, consider creating a Halloween guide on your social media channels. For example, a hotel could put together something like “The Spooky New Jersey Guide” and include spooky landmarks, any events that might still be happening, a list of movies that are set in the local area, and more. Restaurants could create “The Ultimate Halloween Foodie Guide” with links to recipes, short videos showing how to make Halloween treats, and more. No matter your business (seriously – hardware store? You have the material for “The Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide”), this is one place you can seriously shine.
Covid-19 has changed the world – it’s changed how we do things, how we interact, and how we operate our businesses. Online marketing is more important than ever in this new reality and it will continue to become ever more important as we all recover from the past year and get back to the new normal. All you really need to succeed is a little creativity and consistent messaging. Spread a little spookiness (and a little happiness) this Halloween season with these ideas and comment on our Facebook page with your own. And if you need a little help this holiday season, reach out and give us a call at (973) 265-2833 to set up your free consultation. Happy Halloween season!
Author
- Kelly Jones
Social Media Manager
